Mandarin - Course details

Our part-time Mandarin courses focus on communication skills, with particular emphasis on developing your speaking skills. We will introduce you gradually to the new language and ensure that your speaking and reading skills develop through practice and reinforcement. We include grammar in our course as an understanding of grammar is important to help you understand the structures of the language. In our lessons, while it is used as a teaching tool, English is kept to a minimum to help you become accustomed to Mandarin. Our teachers will make sure that you feel at ease while still ensuring you are actively involved.

If you have studied or spoken Mandarin in the past and now wish to improve your speaking ability we will assess your competence so as to place you in the level best suited to your language ability. Contact us for more information on our Mandarin language courses.

We offer courses at three levels, although the higher level courses are dependent on demand:

• Level 1 (Beginner)
• Level 2 (Elementary)
• Level 3 (Pre-Intermediate).

Each level consists of two 40-hour modules. Completing the beginner’s level therefore takes 80 hours in total.  Each course is based on one module, and you receive a Certificate of Attendance on completing Module A, provided you attended at least 80% of the course. Participants who write the tests in the second module and successfully complete Module B obtain a Certificate of Competence.  The tests are only obligatory for those who want a certificate. Alternatively, those who would rather not do the tests receive a report as well as a Certificate of Attendance at the end of the course.

Each course runs for 40 hours.

The Level 1A classes are held on Saturday mornings from 08h00 or 08h30 to 12h00 or 12h30 depending on the class preference. The course runs over 10 weeks.

There is the option of classes in the evenings during the week should sufficient students be interested.

The 1B classes usually run on Saturday afternoons from 12h30 or 13h00 to 16h30 or 17h00 depending on class preference. This class also runs over 10 weeks.